RVing is a phenomenal way to travel -- we were full-time for 3 years before we started cruising, and we'll probably RV 6 months a year in the summers for the rest of our lives regardless of what we do the other six months (i.e., cruising or return to stick-and-bricks for winters). It's that much fun!!

I don't think I know Nick or s/v Jedi, but it's great they are having a chance to go exploring by RV in the summertime. I hope they love it as much as we do!!

S/V Jedi just posted above and he and his wife own a cruiser's cruiser, the Steve Dashew designed Deerfoot 64'. He is from the Netherlands with the boat in Panama and the diesel pusher in the States.

I used to have a Alfa Gold triple slide 5th wheel, a Winnebago MH and before that a travel trailer. My cruising has been limited to the Sea of Cortez for pleasure, but pretty much world wide during my merchant marine days.

For people without the money (yet) for a decent DSLR - you can shoot nice pics with a simple camera too
(Canon SX30iS)

Beautiful shots!

I think good lighting and a good eye are the biggest factors responsible for good photography. Given these, a photo of a cardboard box taken with an inexpensive camera could even be made to look like a work of art .

I bought a separate hard-drive and have put my (digital) pics on it. I assume (maybe mistakenly ) that a hard drive will be able to be read for many years to come.

I have lost at least 15 hard drives in the last 10 years. Granted, they work pretty hard in my job, but please do NOT assume that a hard drive will be reliable for many years!!

It is a magnetic medium and will be influenced by nearby mobile phones, TV's, microwave ovens and so on and so forth. They break pretty easily, especially as they get larger and larger. In my experience, the larger the drive, the less reliable it becomes.

You should always have a backup of your backup, so the minimum is 3 hard drives (1 working, 1 backup, 1 backup of backup). Don't ask me how I know!

Is your 70-200 II a f/2.8? If so, then get the 1.4x III (mk3) extender for f/4 performance. We have a full frame and a crop sensor camera body to make that a possible 1.6x extra reach on the crop sensor. We really need a 7D II body.

On your full frame this might still end up a bit on the short side, but you have plenty pixels to crop and the 2.0x extender costs another stop and noticeable degradation... when you compare at pixel level. We use both extenders but the 2.0 often on tripod.

Then there is the old 100-400L. It's a favorite plus it is compatible with extenders. Last but not least, we have a 70-300L which is nice and compact and in good light very good results.

I would start with that extender

Oh man - that remote app is nice!! I use it on my iPhone and iPad and it lets me set the camera up (~100') and remotely control everything from the f-stop to the focus point. AND you can go to the coffee shop and access your photos on your iPad QUICKLY... I mean I am shocked out how quickly I can scroll through photos - and then text or e-mail them to myself so I can post them up straight away.

Yeah- the 70-200 II is the 2.8. And you are right about the cropped frame. I've only shot full-frame and what I usually shoot are people and smaller objects so a wide angle lens was the focus.... and of course full frame was better - but man - I can remember those threads on DPReview on both the Nikon and Canon section talking about how cropped sensors are so much better for long lenses. That 7D was a beast for that (or the last 1D).

Thanks for the info. Not sure what I'm going to be doing just yet. I rented a 500 for a motorcycle race I was shooting and that thing was great but just WAY too big. Plus I don't need anyone on the other side wanting to borrow it for good...

I think good lighting and a good eye are the biggest factors responsible for good photography. Given these, a photo of a cardboard box taken with an inexpensive camera could even be made to look like a work of art .

You are right - those photos are great and you don't need an amazing camera to take amazing photos. The person behind the camera means EVERYTHING! I mean a blind squirrel can find a nut...

BUT.... I will have to say that I am a terrible photographer when it comes to using a point and shoot. I'm so used to being in M mode and controlling everything so that when that is relinquished then the photos just don't turn out like I would want. Maybe they are great for that camera but I guess in my head I know they could be better with the right lens setup.... but who is kidding who - anyone who snaps a lot of frames is probably too critical - more critical than ANYONE who ever looks at the photo.

Oh man - that remote app is nice!! I use it on my iPhone and iPad and it lets me set the camera up (~100') and remotely control everything from the f-stop to the focus point. AND you can go to the coffee shop and access your photos on your iPad QUICKLY... I mean I am shocked out how quickly I can scroll through photos - and then text or e-mail them to myself so I can post them up straight away.

Yeah- the 70-200 II is the 2.8. And you are right about the cropped frame. I've only shot full-frame and what I usually shoot are people and smaller objects so a wide angle lens was the focus.... and of course full frame was better - but man - I can remember those threads on DPReview on both the Nikon and Canon section talking about how cropped sensors are so much better for long lenses. That 7D was a beast for that (or the last 1D).

Thanks for the info. Not sure what I'm going to be doing just yet. I rented a 500 for a motorcycle race I was shooting and that thing was great but just WAY too big. Plus I don't need anyone on the other side wanting to borrow it for good...

The 400L f/2.8 is doable from hand; the 500L f/2.8 only to show how macho we are As much as I wanted that 400, the price is crazy and we got the 100-400 at 10% of that price instead.

There is a 7D mk.II in the air. When it GPS and wifi with app, I'll go insane. When it gets ISO performance like my 5D2 and AF like the 5D3, or better, I'll pay whatever they ask.

A little something I shot on the weekend with my 1Dx. At the end of June Denice will come sailing with me and we will work on her portfolio on and off my yacht

Nice shots hoppy, I would hardly know where to start for those

I think I'm done with CF again for this season, too many idiots that joined and the BS is more than I can counter anyway. So I'm back in my little cozy photography corner again May be next season I'll just stay here in this corner because it's getting pretty crazy out there. It seems that seamanship is now considered a negative for cruisers.